Clockwork Hearts
by Rayvenwitch
Summary: It's been 10 years since Charlie Bucket last saw his mentor. He doesn't know what to expect when he finally returns to the Factory, but he knows he wants answers. Even the brightest of places cast shadows, and the Factory and its marker have demons of their own. Older!Charlie/Wonka


AN: Oh wow... it's been a couple years since I popped in here to write anything. Mostly been hanging around Tumblr writing stuff over there. Anyway, I decided that I wanted to revisit an old fandom and... here I am.

The Pairing for this one is Wonka/Older!Charlie. Hope you enjoy!

Comments and feedback are extremely welcome ^-^

**Part 1-**

* * *

"It's been a while."

The two men sat across from each other, the hum of the coffee shop a comforting weight around the lighter haired man. The booth was situated towards the back of the shop, in a quiet little corner. Charlie Bucket had picked it out because he knew it would put the other man at ease.

Willy Wonka.

Charlie folded his hand beneath his chin and inspected the man who he had once called 'Mentor'. It had been ten very long years since he'd last laid eyes on him. "You look the same."

Willy's smile was thin as he lifted his mug of tea and sipped. "I'm not sure what you were expecting." He admitted, "You already knew what you'd find if we met."

"I guess I had to see for myself," Charlie admitted. "It's different when you're seventeen year's old and your brain is telling you that someone isn't aging."

Willy nodded his head, "I guess."

"You guess?" Charlie prompted. "Ten years, Will, you have to give me more than an 'I guess'."

"Do I?" Willy glanced up, his lilac colored eyes meeting Charlie's for the first time. "Why?"

"You owe to me." Charlie insisted. "You told me... You told me that if I could go out into the world and live for a while, you'd have answers when I came back."

"Are you back?" Willy questioned.

"Of course-"

"Are you really?" Willy pressed. "Are you here to stay? Isn't there someone in big outside world that means something to you?" He laughed, a bitter sound. "Surely you aren't ready to give up the world and come live in that lonely factory of mine."

"Maybe I've just seen enough of the world to realize... it isn't what I once thought it was." Charlie exhaled and picked up his coffee, cradling the warm cup between his hands for a moment. "When you're young, it seems like you can do anything. When you're twenty-seven... the world isn't so wonderful anymore."

"No, I guess it's not." Willy set his tea down again and closed his eyes. "But it's been a long time since I was twenty-seven."

"I imagine so."

"Oh?"

"My grandpa, before he died... he said you hadn't aged a day from when he was a young man working in the factory. He died... Grandpa Joe."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"He never said an ill word about you, even though you closing that factory caused this town to go to the dumps."

"I opened it back up."

"Not in time to help us." Charlie shook his head again. "By the time your contest came around... we might as well have already been dead. It was a dream... it seems like everything was nothing more than something I dreamed up. I half expected you not to show today."

"I made you a promise, Charlie." Willy sighed. "I keep my promises."

"Then tell me?"

"First, you owe me an answer."

"About living with you?"

"About fulfilling your role as my heir. On paperwork it looks all nice and neat, but we both know there's a lot to figure out still."

"Like I said, I haven't found much in this world that I care to miss if I go."

"Very well," Willy stared down at his coffee. "Come with me."

* * *

The factory hadn't changed. Charlie walked down the candy grass slope and crouched beside the chocolate river. "You changed the grass." He called over his shoulder.

"Mint gets old." Willy answered, his voice filled with humor. "How'd you know I changed it? It's the same color."

"It smells different." Charlie chuckled, getting to his feet. "Still not letting any humans work for you?"

"Humans..." Willy laughed. "I've found very few redeemable humans."

"There you go again," Charlie shook his head. "Talking about humans as if you aren't one of us."

"Maybe I'm not." Willy challenged playfully. "You never know."

"It would explain the 'Old as dirt but young as me' look you got going on." Charlie grinned. It was easy to fall into the familiar banter with his mentor. It felt as though no time at all had passed since the last time he had been in this room.

The memory brought a rush of color to Charlie's cheeks.

Seventeen-years old, and confessing a crush on the other man. God, what a nightmare that had been. It had been on the eve of his eighteenth birthday, and he'd finally found the courage to say what he'd been wanting to safe since he started becoming aware of what relationships were all about.

The aftermath had not been pretty. The word 'confused' had been tossed around a lot, along with suggestions on other types of love and how he might be reading into things the wrong way. Charlie it was then that Charlie had known he needed to get out – and Willy had let him go.

"You're thinking very hard over there, Charlie." Willy said.

Charlie blinked and shook his head. "It's nothing." He dismissed.

"It's never nothing if it makes you look so sad." Willy reached out and poked a finger against the center of Charlie's forehead. "Now, Mr. It's nothing – what is it really?"

"Just memories." Charlie confessed. "This place is full of them."

"You were happy here." Willy agreed. "I was happy to finally have people to chase away the loneliness."

"I was glad to have someone who understood." Charlie folded his arms against his chest. "Being the 'Poor kid' at school meant I never had anyone my own age to play with. It was always just me... all alone."

"And then you came here." Willy smiled. "It was nice."

"It'll be nice again." Charlie laughed.

"Maybe,"

"Only a maybe?"

"It'll be different." Willy explained. "You're no loner a child for one thing."

"No, I'm not." Charlie grinned faintly, his cheeks still flushed from the memory of his foolish adolesent confession. "Does that change anything?"

Willy went still. "Should it?" he said coolly.

"Well, we won't be playing at racing candy cars down chocolate race tracks I should imagine." Charlie said, backtracking as fast as he could. He turned away, wondering if the pounding of his heart was audible to the other man. God, it was a thunder in his years now; he could feel his pulse trapped in his throat.

"Charlie..."

"Please don't." Charlie whispered. "If you're going to bring us round to that... please save us both the awkwardness."

"It'll have be brought round at least once."

"Why?"

"Because your face is red as a cherry."

"I'll cool."

"Will it?"

"I hope so." Charlie jumped at the hand on his shoulder. "Please..." he turned, eyes stinging. "I've spent ten years trying to be normal."

"Normal?"

"To date girls."

"Oh Charlie..." Willy reached up and rubbed at the back of his neck, looking miserable. "I never meant to make you feel like it wasn't normal... I only meant... you're..." he shook his head. "I'm not much good at this."

"I don't think anyone is really." Charlie said bitterly. "Will, you don't like me, I get that-"

"I like you." Willy interrupted.

"But not like that."

"I like you, Charlie." Willy said again.

Charlie blinked. "You... do?"

"Shouldn't I?" Willy smiled slightly. "You're handsome, you've got a good head on your shoulders. God knows you put up with me during the contest, and after even."

"You're making me sound better than I am."

"Perhaps. Or, maybe I see you as you really are."

"Are you flirting?"

"Badly."

Charlie laughed and shook his head, "I wasn't expecting this."

"To be completely honest... Neither was I." Willy sighed and sat down in the grass, tucking his knees against his chest. "I..."

Charlie sat down beside him and tilted his head, laying it against the other man's shoulder. "You know, we always complicate things." He mused. "You with your contest to find an heir. Me with my inability to just deal with complicated issues..."

"We're complicated people." Willy agreed, glancing sideways at the top of Charlie's head.

"Let's be less complicated where it matters, yes?"

"I like that idea." Willy closed his eyes. "So... where are heading with this?"

"You expect me to know?"

"I hoped at least."

"I assume... we see what happens."

"Dating?"

"I don't see what we shouldn't. It's not like anyone here in the Factory is going to judge us for dating."

"No, just everyone outside this factory."

"Only if we caught."

"And you think we won't?"

"I have faith that no one cares."

"At least one of us does..." Willy sighed. "I'm surprised that... this was what we talked about first. I thought for sure you'd want to know about the thing?"

"I figured you'd tell me when you're ready."

"It's a long story."

"Well, we have nothing but time."


End file.
